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Entry, Storm, Patio and Sliding Doors in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
A front door that lets in daylight around the edges, a storm door with a closer that gave up years ago, a slider that takes two hands to move, or a new doorway out to the deck. Swapping a door can be simple, while a new opening is structural work. Call (978) 788-0374 or send the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
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Front, back and side
Swapping a door or adding a new one
Same opening. Many door jobs replace a worn door and frame with a pre-hung unit of the same size, so the wall framing stays as it is. Storm doors go on over the existing entry. Even then, a crew often finds a rotted sill or threshold once the old door comes out.
New openings. Turning a window into a patio door, widening a doorway or adding an entrance means cutting the wall and carrying the load over the opening. That is structural work for a contractor, and the building department is the first call.
Older houses. Removing an old door and trim in a pre-1978 home disturbs painted surfaces, so the lead renovation rules apply when the work is paid and goes beyond minor exterior jobs of 20 square feet or less (EPA RRP for contractors).
Massachusetts
Exterior doors in Massachusetts
Permits. OCABR's chart says replacing a door needs a building permit "if an exit door or for public safety concerns," and installing a new door needs a permit and a construction supervisor license; the state calls the chart general guidance and points you to the building official (HIC contractor resources). Any change to a required means of egress needs a permit (780 CMR R105.2.2).
Size and landings. The primary egress door must be side-hinged with a clear width of at least 32 inches, and secondary egress door openings must be at least 78 inches high. The landing or floor outside a door can, where the code allows a step down, sit no more than 8¼ inches below it, and exterior stair risers top out at 8¼ inches with treads at least 9 inches deep (780 CMR Chapter 3).
Who does the work. The contractor must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor for work on an owner-occupied home of one to four units, and on one- and two-family homes a licensed construction supervisor or registered design professional must oversee construction (When a CSL is required). In pre-1978 housing, paid work disturbing more than 20 square feet of exterior paint needs a licensed lead-safe renovation contractor (DLS for homeowners).
The contract. A door job over $1,000 needs a written contract, and a special-order door is the kind of material that can push a deposit past the usual one-third cap (M.G.L. c.142A §2). Check registrations on the Contractor Hub.
New Hampshire
Exterior doors in New Hampshire
Your town's permit. Building permits come from the town or city, which may keep codes stricter than the state's (RSA 155-A:2). Ask the building department before a new opening is cut or an exit door is changed; ask the town building official about egress. The state building code moved to the 2024 editions on July 1, 2026, and the new codes apply to every permit request from January 1, 2027 (Town of Merrimack code page).
Lead paint. Anyone paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home must be EPA-certified, sole proprietors included (EPA RRP).
The contract. The Attorney General says "contractors do not need to be licensed" in New Hampshire, so ask for references and proof of insurance, and get a written contract with the scope, materials, total price and payment schedule before any work or payment (NH Attorney General). On a contract over $5,000, the contractor must give you the RSA 359-G notice (RSA 359-G).
New Hampshire exterior rules and the towns we cover.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Exterior Pros is a referral service. We don't sell or install doors.
FAQ
Exterior door questions
Does replacing a front door need a permit in Massachusetts?
Maybe. The state's contractor chart says replacing a door needs a building permit "if an exit door or for public safety concerns," while installing a new door is marked as permit work. Your building department makes the call for your house.
How wide does the main door have to be?
In Massachusetts, the primary egress door must be side-hinged with a clear width of at least 32 inches. In New Hampshire, ask the town building official about egress on the permit.
We want a slider where there is now a window. What is involved?
Cutting a new door opening changes the wall framing, so it is structural work. The Massachusetts contractor chart marks installing a new door as needing a building permit and a construction supervisor license; in New Hampshire, ask your town building department what it requires.
Do the steps outside the new door matter?
Yes. Where the code allows a landing below the door, Massachusetts caps the drop at 8¼ inches; it also limits exterior stair risers to 8¼ inches with treads at least 9 inches deep. A door swap is a good time to fix steps that don't meet those limits.
What does it cost me to use New England Exterior Pros?
Nothing. The request and the referral are free; the contractor prices the work.
Town guides
Local rules for exterior doors by town
Each town page covers that town's permits for exterior work, historic review and the homes you'll find there. Towns with a local guide so far: Greater Lowell, MA (Lowell, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford, Tyngsborough and Pepperell), Andover, Lawrence & Haverhill, MA (Methuen, Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill), Woburn, Reading & Melrose, MA (Woburn, Lexington, Burlington, Wilmington, North Reading, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham and Winchester), Nashua Region, NH (Nashua, Hudson and Merrimack), Salem, Derry & Londonderry, NH (Pelham, Salem, Windham, Derry and Londonderry), Manchester & Bedford, NH (Manchester and Bedford) and Portsmouth, Dover & Rochester, NH (Portsmouth, Dover and Rochester). We add towns across New England as we can cover them properly.